The Secret Society of the Yamayuri
by Tekiru
Summary: In a cloak-and-dagger tale of deception, intrigue and misdirection, a sophisticated all-female secret society emerges as a suspected murder-for-hire group behind a spree of high-profile, vigilante-styled killings. Alternate Universe


**The Secret Society of the Yamayuri**

_In an era dominated by new world order technocrats, ultimate power resides in information control. In a cloak-and-dagger tale of deception, intrigue and misdirection, a sophisticated all-female secret society emerges as a suspected murder-for-hire group behind a spree of high-profile, vigilante-styled killings._

**Chapter 01: _The Yotogi _**

The rain was pouring heavily outside. It was 1:15 in the morning. She was awake, staring at the laptop in front of her. And the TV was on low volume. The trickle of the rain on her window pane was keeping her from focusing on finding a story.

Satou Sei had been working as an investigative journalist for almost 12 years since graduating from the University and right now she needed a new story. All the news leads that she read had all the makings of a stale boring ending that she kept researching for something that was unlike the mainstream news. She was extremely stumped and could feel the deadline looming above her. It was like a gray cloud hovering over her head like it was about to pour out a torrential storm if she did not get an umbrella ready. Sei was getting sick of covering political scandals because it was just as good as the next one that came along. She was reading through scores of news paper clippings, internet feeds and was periodically watching the late night news coverage but nothing interesting was coming up. She needed a story that was value-laden. One that was about seeking justice, truth or anything truthfully liberating.

Tsukiyama Minako – her boss and chief editor of the _Tokudane Shimbun_ was taking too seriously the name of the paper which meant 'bringer of exclusive news' that the articles and top news columns bordered on sensationalism. Sei had at first noted that to Tsukiyama-san but was subtly reminded about loyalty and how Sei should be indebted to Minako about giving her the job in the first place.

Two years ago, Sei was embroiled in a news scandal brought about by bad and compromised information from her former news agency. It had made her a pariah in elite journalistic circles. The explosive story revolved around Sei exposing the alleged illegal business transactions between the Chinese and the Japanese in a tech-deal that was wrought with corruption, espionage and information leakage. The tech-deal was called PROJECT YOTOGI. It means "Watcher" in Japanese. Sei believed in her informant a little too much that it was too late to turn back when she realized she was falling for her. And despite the inherent conflict of interests, they had an affair.

A scheming journalist Yamaguchi Mami who was then considered Sei's prime competitor exposed the loopholes in Sei's story. Yamaguchi equally exposed the affair between Sei and the informant, who turned out to be a member of the Yakuza. The infamous Japanese mob syndicate wanted the deal busted for their own selfish interests. In the end, Sei got played despite her belief in the story's validity. The informant named Kubo Shiori disappeared after Yamaguchi's journalistic attack. Mami-san's attack was merciless – as she took all media necessary to dishonour Satou Sei's name in public. The internet news groups humiliated Sei and overnight, her solid reputation crumbled and made a joke. Satou Sei was then fired from her job as the premier journalist of the biggest news agency in Japan, her lover having left her with nothing. Not even her dignity.

It was Tsukiyama Minako who found her one night, jobless and in a drunken stupor. A few weeks later, Satou Sei was offered a job in the last place she dreamt to work in: a tabloid newspaper firm. Despite the lack of journalistic sophistication of the news firm, it was strangely making revenue than most broadsheets especially in the current wave of economic recession. People surely could be enticed to pay cheap news. Nothing sells more than a scandal.

Then her mobile phone rang.

Sei looked at her phone and was even a bit startled as the incessant ringing brought her back from her reverie. The number was unlisted on her cell phone and it did not seem to belong to any of her friends. Vacillating on whether to answer or not, Sei decided that she might as well talk to whoever was calling her. She was not doing anything anyway. After the tenth ring, she pressed the talk button.

"_Moshi_…" Sei normally did not announce herself on the first hello especially if coming from an unlisted caller. Her years of journalism taught her to be wary of past disgruntled subjects and readers who simply wanted to harass her.

The voice cut through.

"Listen carefully. We do not have time. Go to Warehouse 55B of the Old Tokyo Pier now. A digital packet in container number 4-3 awaits you. The signature is the password."

There was a female voice in the other end of the line. The voice sounded business-like yet it had an intriguing sexy lilt to it at the end. Sei could not place the voice. _Was this a joke?_ Yet Sei could not believe that any one of her friends (and she possess not many) would call this early in the morning just to play a prank. Friends and other people should be the on the receiving end of any of Sei's sometimes cruel humour and not the other way around.

Despite her mind racing to guess at the reasons for the call and who the caller was, Sei took on an indifferent voice as if it was nothing interesting.

"You know what, if you are lonely and just need someone to talk to, I can hook you up ---- ?" Still not willing to get played, Sei was mentally preparing herself for something. What is was she really didn't know but she felt something quite different about the voice on the other end of the line.

"Satou Sei-san. Warehouse 55B of the Old Tokyo Pier. Container 4-3. The signature is the password. Bring an umbrella. We'll talk again soon."

"_Matte_…"

Then a click was heard.

Sei didn't know what to make of the call. She began to feel the silence of the room. Was she going to believe?

***

_15 minutes ago. At the Old Tokyo Pier._

The dark could be deceiving. There were shadows gathering at a fair distance of the vast complex of old warehouses. They were like big tin cans rotting. Some of them abandoned. One could hear the sound of boots tapping, running against the splashing noise of water and rain.

A man in dark overcoat could be seen running towards a heavily dimmed aisle, dead-end looming and nowhere to go. You could see the fear in his eyes, increasing by the second. He was crazed with a terrible fright that he couldn't fathom. His bodyguards were nowhere near. They were probably dead by then he figured.

He held tightly to the gun he was holding. The knuckles of his hand were getting redder as he gripped the weapon for his life. A sudden whoosh was heard. Something, someone flew past him. The shadows were teasing, frightening and he could feel the beating of heart as if it wanted to burst out of his ears. Another rustle – a swift movement caught his eye but still his mind couldn't figure who or what it was.

He turned around, not knowing where to look. He started to shout out of desperation.

"Show yourselves! You think I'm afraid of you! Show yourselves!" The man was waving his gun in the air, frantic amidst the pouring of rain. He fired aimlessly into the shadows, hitting nothing.

Then a cloaked figure slowly emerged from behind him.

A female voice spoke: "Oda Masahiro. Leader of the 3rd Yakuza Tokyo Division. Tonight your sins shall be meted with true justice."

She pointed a small metal gun at him. And in a split second, the man named Oda Masahiro fell to the wet ground, unconscious, eyes dilating.

"Make sure he did not break his neck." The cloaked woman spoke in the darkness.

Another cloaked figure checked on the seemingly lifeless body and held a _4D Roentgen Ray _to the man on the ground. The device emitted a four-dimensional display of the man's vital signs and statistics similar to the newest ultrasound scanning technique.

"He is going to be fine, Rosa Chinensis. We must leave. This place will be crawling with law enforcement in minutes." The other cloaked figure responded in a woman's voice. Strands of long blue hair seen through the edges of the black hood. The rain was still pouring.

"Gather the others, _Red Tsubomi --- _" A spray of bullets went pass them in an instant.

The woman called Rosa Chinensis suddenly raised her right hand palms up in the air and a blue force field enveloped her, the body of Oda Masahiro and the other cloaked figure she called Red Tsubomi.

"I shall secure him. But you would need to get us some cover because the field can only hold us for 3 minutes in this rain. Do you see where they are?" Rosa Chinensis asked of Red Tsubomi.

The other cloaked woman earnestly eyed the source of the raging bullets and squinted only twice despite the downpour. She looked at the one respectfully named Rosa Chinensis. With a swift urgency of the actions she was about to undergo, Red Tsubomi timed herself.

"Yes…Ready? Now!" And in an instant, the blue-haired tsubomi unleashed a flash of blinding light that seemed to make a piercing noise all through out. The bullets kept coming but the sonic pressure seemed to halt some of them to a standstill. Rosa Chinensis was then seen carrying the body of Oda Masahiro to another darkened aisle.

In the confusion, the men held off their onslaught of gunfire. They were on top of one big shipping container van and as they turned to steal their eyes away from the blinding light , they noticed the glint of the blade of a long _katana _cutting through the air and a _wakizashi_ stabbing through their loins. Blood splattering, mixing with the precipitating heavy weather.

It was the same-blue haired woman, her hood partially revealing half of her face and who in less than seven moves brought down three men armed with automatic rifles. She was fast enough to release the time-delay blinding flash, silently running to where the gunmen were and crippling them in 3 fell swoops. Her moves were nearly superhuman.

She heard a beep from her digital wrist communicator.

"Red Tsubomi?"

"Rosa Foetida. I'm okay, this grid is secure."

"Then I'm glad you're ok. White Tsubomi has secured the get-away path. I'm joined by Yellow Tsubomi in W55B. We're clear to evacuate."

"Let me find Rosa Chinensis. I'll alert Young Akai regarding transport. We'll meet you in dock number 6 in 5 minutes."

In a matter of minutes, a speed boat could be seen racing away. On board were five women, hoods worn down, their hair getting blown by the sea wind.

***

_30 minutes after. At the Old Tokyo Pier._

Special Agent Katou Kei, elastic gloves in hand, reached out to touch strewn petals of what seemed to be salmon pink roses placed next to every injured body within Warehouse 36C.

"Those petals form part of the signature now, Katou-san." The petals figured in the last incident. This was said by the bespectacled forensic analyst who was shooting pictures of the crime scene. Her badge read Takeshima Tsutako.

"It seems that way, Tsu. " Kei quietly said wondering at the text message she got a few minutes earlier from a mysterious sender. She would not have paid the message any mind. However the text included certain things about the previous incident that only the Bureau would know. Kei was theorizing that the salmon pink roses, the message sender and the vendetta-like operation were all indicators of a fully-planned contract killing in organized assassinations. But she had more questions than answers, more theories than facts.

They found the scene this way: Fifteen highly-armed male body guards were tied, gagged, with stab wounds to their legs and broken arms or ankles. A lone man was found unconscious and tied to a chair in the far end of the warehouse. The man was the once fearsome Oda Masahiro. Oda had been the subject of a relentless manhunt from several law enforcement agencies around the world for alleged espionage, illegal arms trade and a high incidence of female sex trafficking. He had been elusive until now.

When Oda came to, a few minutes after the arrival of the police, he was muttering endlessly.

"Get 4-3. Four-dash-three… They're going to kill me! Please! The black angels should've killed me! I am going to die! 4-3!"

Oda was not making sense. The uniformed male policemen interrogated Oda. 4-3. Was it a date? A code? What was 4-3? A person? Black Angels? But Oda just kept repeating his words, shouting that he should be dead or he would be soon. Kei and Tsu looked at each other. Oda was fearing to be killed by the leaders of the group he was working for.

Naitou Shouko, another forensic analyst on the scene placed a radio transmission to Takeshima. She was examining digital images of warehouse blueprint designs found inside what could be Oda's laptop in the Yakuza makeshift office near Warehouse 36A.

"Tsutako-sama? You and Katou-san just might want to see this."

Kei and Tsu proceeded to walk towards the far end of the warehouse 36C plot. Naitou proceeded with an explanation of the images on the screen:

"It seems that Division 5 of the Tokyo Yakuza was trying to prepare several container vans for illegal shipment. Most of the cargo is here in Warehouse 36 A, B and C. But look here – they seem to also be watching over a container van in the far end of the pier too."

Diagrams of Warehouse Building 36C and 55B were both open files. Another file contained what seemed to be an inventory of the shipments in each coded container van.

The Old Tokyo Pier, originally a seaport in the 1950's, had been converted to a vast complex of semi-open cargo and sea container warehouses. The Pier had been given to much disuse over the years and had only been used to stage non-perishable inventories that were not import-export critical. The entire pier consisted of 55 warehouse-grids . Each grid contained a large warehouse building, wherein 4 container bays designated with A, B, C and D were assigned. Each bay could stack 3 container vans in 4 rows. Meaning that a warehouse bay could occupy 12 container vans in all. The entire building can then house 48 container vans across all bays.

"We've checked the entirety of 55B for any more bodies but none of the Yakuza were there when we arrived. Every one of Oda's bodyguards accounted for were tied and gagged here. No evidence that they were injured in 55B." Shouko continued.

"Have we concluded the check in 55B?" Kei asked.

"A forensics team is there combing the place. We'll probably hear from them in a bit." Tsu answered Kei as the three of them read through the container inventories for all vans in the warehouses.

Shouko was clicking through code container links when Tsu suddenly said: "Wait, Shouko – go back a bit to the inventory index screen. Do you not notice the container code assignments, Katou-san?"

The screen had an outline of a series of container vans: OTPW36A 1-1, OTPW36A 1-2….. and the list went on.

"Tsu, you're right." Oda was muttering off container code assignments. "Shouko-san, can you check declared inventories for OTPW36 grids with 4-3 and also for 55B?" Kei-san asked?

"We're in the middle of completing ---" Shouko was saying but was cut short by the sound of a woman raising her voice at a policeman. Kei, Tsu and Shouko looked at the direction of the commotion.

"Let go of me, officer! I am not a criminal. I can explain why I am here…" A tall blonde woman was resisting and trying to let go of the tightening grip from the young uniformed cop.

"_Keibu-ho-sama_, we saw this woman lingering somewhere near Warehouse 55B. It seems that she was trying to locate a container van."

"I don't think lingering is the word to use. Please…" The woman said.

Kei knew her instantaneously – who wouldn't. But the young policeman who was probably fresh from the Academy knew little of her.

"Satou Sei-san. Your journalistic nose for news amazes me. My name is Special Agent Katou Kei of the Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Bureau. I am captain in charge of this investigation. Officer Hajime, you can let go of her now." Noting mentally that Officer Hajime should be given a lesson on his manners. He was almost dragging her a bit too tightly.

"Your reputation precedes you, Captain Katou. As I have said I can explain why I am here. I wish I could state that my nose for news is as fierce as your investigative mind. But I was a recipient of a tip, so to speak." Satou Sei declared.

"A tip?" Kei asked.

"Anonymous caller. The number was unlisted though. Just so that you won't think I am lying - check the logs from the cell phone carrier. I do not know who the caller was." Sei wanted to get straight to the point but without having to disclose details. Katou-san was renowned to be a no-nonsense detective and was someone that even the brightest of journalists won't be able to manipulate and sway.

"Was the caller male, female? Could you give a more complete vocal description?" Kei asked pointedly.

"Female caller. Perhaps late 20's to early 30's. Has a business like tone. Nothing special. Similar to yours, I say." That last tone was a dig at the Special Agent.

Kei-san raised her left eyebrow and mentally dismissed the remark. Satou-san was evidently sizing her up but she decided not to indulge the eccentric journalist. Kei kept her cool.

"Can you repeat in verbatim the exact words told you by the female caller?" Kei prodded feeling that Sei was not being particularly generous in offering details, especially if not asked.

"I can." _But that does not mean I will_. Sei wanted to say that last thought but was also wary of antagonizing the Special Agent too much. But it seemed the Katou-san knew already what she was thinking.

"I do not think it wise, Satou-san, to hamper an ongoing investigation." Kei challenged the journalist mildly.

"Katou-san, we have a small problem." Tsu interrupted the banter between Kei and Sei as the lead forensics approached the special agent.

"Satou-san, I would like to question you further regarding the tip but I would have to ask Officer Hajime to escort you into one of our make-shift holding areas for the meantime." Kei did not wait for Sei to respond but quickly turned around to join Tsutako and Shouko who were both watching over the bureau-issued digital console a few paces away.

Sei was not budging despite Officer Hajime taking her by the elbow. She lingered for a bit.

"We can't seem to open Container 4-3 in Warehouse 55B. It is digitally locked by a really sophisticated encryption code. Plus it is asking for a biometric scan. We've tried overriding the code using our own decryption tools but to no avail." Tsutako informed Kei.

"The encryption system used in the container the same for all other containers?" Kei asked of the forensics team.

"From the looks of it, OTPW55B 4-3 is the only container with the digital locking device. We might have to assess whether it was the Yakuza or this pink rose petal group who installed the locks." Shouko said.

Then all of a sudden, Sei began to insert herself into the conversation.

"Hmmm. I think I know how to open container 4-3, Katou-san…The signature is the password." Sei smiled triumphantly at Kei who at first wondered how much the caller tipped the journalist on the mysterious activities.

***

It was Tsutako who deduced that there was a sequence to opening container 4-3. The biometric scan had to be performed first and then the entering of the password. When Satou-san placed her hands on the biometric pad scanner, the display read: _Satou Sei, you can now enter the passcode for this container_. _You have 60 seconds to enter the code_. Even Sei was surprised at this. Whoever was responsible for the events was elaborate in its plan. Why the perpetrators chose her was another question that nagged inside her. But she had only 50 seconds left to enter the password.

"She said the signature is the password. And that I do not know." Sei was stumped.

"Try this: pink petals." Tsu offered. Sei entered pink petals but she was denied entry. 45 seconds left.

"What does the signature look like?" Sei asked. Hurriedly Shouko showed her a sample of the rose petals they gathered for evidence. Sei keyed the words: pink rose. Access denied again. 30 seconds left.

"It might be longer. The signature is the password. Try a combination of all the words we used." Kei said. 20 seconds left.

"But I don't think it's simply just – pink rose petals. It might be something more. Technically, the petals aren't totally pink – they're more like pastel pink as opposed to dark pink." Sei said. 10 seconds.

"Then…how about salmon pink?" Shouko suggested. Sei keyed the words: salmon pink rose petals. The container van opened. It was empty except for a small aluminum box.

Tsutako took the box and it revealed another biometric fingerprint scanner. Tsu offered Sei to place her thumb on the designated pad. The aluminium top opened to reveal a small digital video disc addressed to both her and Special Agent Katou. There was also a silver-plated pen and an enveloped note to Sei.

The note read: "Find the real truth about Project Yotogi." The note had a white lily embossed with the monogram Y.

The words: _Secret Society of the Yamayuri_ was placed at the bottom of the note.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

This is an attempt at an alternate universe telling of Marimite. This story came to me conceptually whilst I was writing the Noriko chapters of my first fan fiction: _The Lillian Interviews_. Although the intention for this story is more fast paced than my other work, the writing of _The_ _Secret Society_ necessitates that individual chapters are more drawn out than _The_ _Lillian Interviews_. Personally forecasting, this story will be concluded much earlier than that of my first fan-fiction. The older Roses specifically Youko, Sei and Eriko are the more prominent characters in this fan-fiction. Kei also figures much in this story but with a more surprised (and essentially non-canon pairing) in store for her.

Note that the setting for this story is not futuristic. It is done in present time. The sophistication of the weapons and devices referenced in this fan-fiction work are a mix of real-world devices (i.e. biometric scanners) and nano-tech experimental devices currently being researched and developed as non-commercial designs in certain technology-driven firms around the globe.

Although most terms here are context-explanatory, allow me to discuss a few of them with you:

_The Old Tokyo Pier_: this is a fictionalized place in Japan.

_Red Tsubomi_: Tsubomi is perhaps the nearest Japanese word to the term _en bouton_ or rose bud. By this time, you would know that Red Tsubomi is an honorific title-rank to one of our leading Marimite characters under the Chinensis family. It should then follow that you would know who Yellow Tsubomi and White Tsubomi is or hopefully figure them out as the story progresses. Although there is no Rosa Gigantea in the Yamayurikai of this story, I shall still use leader titles for Rosa Chinensis and Rosa Feotida for the Red Roses and Yellow Roses respectively. We shall explain the unique position of White Tsubomi along the way.

_Young Akai (_and eventually_ Young Shiro_): These are not personal names but rank-titles in this story within the circle of the Yamayurikai. Shiro is Japanese for yellow while Akai is red. Naturally, Young Shiro is the youngest member of the Foetida family while Young Akai is the youngest member of the Chinensis family.

_Katana_ and _wazikashi_: are both Japanese samurai swords. Katana is a longer sword while wazikashi is usually a shorter companion blade.

_Keibu-ho : _Japanese police / law enforcement rank similar to Captain.

_Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Bureau_: the PSB is a real-world police-crime fighting intelligence bureau in Tokyo. They are perhaps similar to MI5 in the UK but not nearly close to the CIA nor the FBI in the US. To know more about the PSB, wiki search for them.

My hope is you all enjoy reading this as much as The Lillian Interviews. Both stories are independent from each other and parallels are minimal at best, including pairings. Since this is a more AU genre, you might find out of character depictions to some of the personalities. Nevertheless, they are aligned to the general plot and direction of the story.

Actually, as I celebrated my birthday yesterday, this story is more like a treat to Marimite AU readers and site lurkers alike. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.


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